20180128-古德明:罪案增加、as such

古德明:罪案增加、as such
22:53 28/1/2015


問:This kind of crime is increasing(這類罪案正在增加)這一句,是不是應改作The number of this kind of crime is increasing(這類罪案的數目正在增加)?只有數目才可以增加啊。
答:原句絕對沒有問題,increase也絕對不必和number、amount等量詞連用,例如His influence is increasing是「他的影響力漸增」,Production has increased是「產量增加了」,As his wealth increased, his power increased是「他的財富增加,權力也隨之增加」。
The number of之後,習慣用複數形式名詞,例如The number of people/ cars(人/汽車的數目)。The number of this kind of crime最好改為the number of such crimes。
問:As such是不是「因為」的意思?英文可不可以說:It is very cold today. As such, I have put on more clothes(今天很冷,我因此多穿了衣服)?
答:As such不是「因此」,而是指「作為(上述那樣的)人、物」或「本身」,例如:(1)Mr Leung is a communist, and as such can lie like a gas meter(梁先生是共產黨徒,而既是共產黨徒,自然可以謊話連篇)。(2)A name, as such, means nothing(名字本身是沒有意思的)。
讀者說的那一句,不應用as such。可改寫如下:As it is very cold today, I have put on more clothes。


古德明
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